Well fallen off twice today, that makes, 7total, is there a prize at 10?? Day not over yet!
Yesterday i got up to watch the sunrise over the dunes, then back to bed, rewoke had breakfast then promptly fell asleep on the bed again, left Merzouga at midday, the desert roads are empty for miles. Lovely ride but id left too late really. When somewher is only 200km away you think its doable very quickly but it never seems to work out that way! As i rode through another flooded road some kids made a barrier to stop me so they could nick stuff but its too well tied on for that. Into the dades gorge as the sunset and turned the mountaibs unto a melting pot of reds oranges and purples. Found the hotel just as the call for prayer went out, fantastic place, all vernacular abd very arty. After dinner spent the night talking french with an italian couple and a berber man. Very nice too !
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The dunes bean small and i walked by a small beduine camp, hoping they wouldnt see me and do the ‘ getting money out the tourist’ game. As the dunes got larger i realised you shouldnt walk in a straight line, its exhausting. Following the dune ridges i steadily climbed aiming for the peak of the grande du to achieve. Its colour is like rose gold but changes with the light. After my second heart attack and as sweat poured from every pore i was 40ft from the ne some 160m tall. The sand is quite different to the sand you find on beaches, this stuff is better compacted by the wind than any builder could manage summit one last push up the steepest incline and i collapsed at the peak to watch the sun go down. Beautiful sunset with three camel drives in sight and surrounded by nothing but dunes, before it got dark i slid down the west face. Down was much easier than up! The guys with trials bikes did in less than a minute what had taken me an hour! In the hotel the owner said he saw me and commented to the staff that the man in white must be our englishman ! Fabulous dinner and bed. did i mention that yesterday i met three guys on bmws and ktms with very flash expensive gear and no idea! One had fallen from his oversized unmanagable bike and broken his foot, i know we shouldnt, but my how Shirley and i giggled!
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Another beautiful day in the desert. Shirley has had a problem charging phone and other kit so today i woke at 6 am watched the sunrise over the dunes then back to bed before breakfast then i took a look at her. It was only a blown fuse, maybe at the same time as the lights blew but im concerned i havent found the original fault. Still she seems good now. Washed my smalls Then a walk through the village, a swim in the pool and a diary catch up in the sun. Im a little concerned about spanish post as 8sd cards have gone missing, it would be a terrible shame to loose all those photos. At 5pm i set of to climb the highest dune around this area and was in for a suprise.
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The next day i sleep in a little and mohameds brother, abdul took me to a natural hot spring where they wash. HOT! I mean scoulding rip your skin off peel the epidermis leave your body tingling hot. Really good though and i managed full emersion but couldnt stand to swim. Encouraged by abdul i got as far as i could then when were back in Rich i was told many marocs cant get in the water but only splash themselves with it! Id been had! The massage was good though. Even if it was man on man! I stop a few times on the way to the desert until i get to the longest patch of flood, only 2foot deep but about100m long, i got wet but Shirley was a star. As i rode i admired the red mountains but found as i got closer…they were sand dunes! I showed the guys in the hotel my web and they saw the pictures from my leaving party, ive sold two salsa girls for 34 camels each, good bargaining eh? Anyhow, goodnight from my kingsize bed in a 4star hotel in the desrt with fossils cut and polished to make the sink! Think ill have a swim tomorrow after breakfast is served then see what the day brings.
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I think i might be engaged to be married! As i had breakfast in a traditional home, the mother played matchmaker with her daughter of 26 who was quite a looker! I was tempted for a moment! Here marrage is like a contract and only vallied for a set period. Off to see the mines next but the roads got so bad we couldnt get through, although i was set to continue, abdul said it was going to rain and we would never get back. So into a shop of his freind, usually i wouldnt be tempted but i was on thi occasion, a pack of fags, 80 quid and my old m ns shirt later i had a new blanket. Always the realist eh? Hot country and o motorbike and i buy a blanket! The road to Rich was flooded so i waited for the water to go down to knee level and ran the30m stretch, cheers and hoots from the motorists were encouragement enough. In Rich i met mohamid and family, walked the village, ate with the family and met brothers sisters and freinds. This village say hello by banging heads! Great night of entertainment really casual but fun, one guy tried my bike which seemed to make everyone tense but turned out ok. One of those eventful quality days worth remembering for all its events and new freindships.
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Staying in a real berber home tonight. Had great fun today. Update maybe tomorrow.
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The most suprising things happen in the most unusual of places. Faith is the word and for this perhaps morocco is the place. Aziz in moulay idress said goodbye and i started a journey south. The mountains held yet more rain but as i rode through this, a suprise awaited in the forested plains below. Bloody monkeys in the road. I rode a km and then realiswd in my daydream that there were monkeys in the road! Barbary apes everywhere ! Todays suprises had begun. The next was the flooded roads and rubble followed by a river below such as ive never seen. The muddy waters were a torrent of foam and i stppoed to photo then continued to midelt where the town seemed to be having a festival. As i approached i slowed and the police were turning back traffic. The road had collapsed in a 40 ft stretch washed away completly, a 4ft drop into another 6ft of water and the town had come to a standstill as people watched the eroding destruction the mountain run off created. A man spoke to me and suspicious but used to this now i decided to go with him to a hotel. Hotels here are quite different to european expectations but still, as i was about to find out, luxurious. Invited to see a local village and trying to dry out a little i went with abdul and made the foepar of saying the earth houses were beautiful but not very practical. He then invited me in to meet his family. Later i returned with him for a dinner and theological discussion that continued in a cafe and in the hotel with his friends. One of which lives in nottingham, so we hatch a plot to suprise her. We, english, dont understand what hopitality is until youve seen with these eyes, met with these people and eaten in their houses. Tomorrow i have invitations for breakfast during ramadan and a tour of the local mines before continuing on to Rich to meet mohammid.
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electrics on bike blown so phone has limited charge, also Orange wont allow top ups from here; ill continue trying but dont worry everything else is fine and the people are being very very kind; amazing really; ill let you know how i get on;
love yer
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Im doing fantastically well. Today i repaired Shirley, with the rest of the village! Amazing what 20euro accomplishes here. A few smiles some jokes and some fun and at the end, when the jobs complete hand out some money and i had lunch with a family in their home. They are not eating because of ramadan but were perfect hosts. Then a run through the mountain roads with a man and his two year old daughter on the back! She was an absolute sweetheart and he took me for a ride to see all the good views and to meet the mountain people. Of course it rained but remember rain is lucky here and it produced an incredibly bright double rainbow over the mountains which seemed as though i could reach out and grab it to wrap around us for the journey home. Tonight i have traditional dinner in their home with their two children. We have a view that people outside England may be dishonest, yet this is so far from the truth here. They are inquisative, helpful and have perfect manners, a little different from our own, but in a charming way that shows more respect that we get or give in England. This is a world very worthy of attention. Tonight will be fabulous, tomorrow will be equally bright.
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Quite a day. After a marvelous breakfast of crepes i headed to Fez. The sun was out and the ride was fantastic through roads surrounded by fields of varing shades of burnt amber. Fez is the cultural capital and no sooner had i found secured parking for Shirley, i was haggling the price of a tour with a toothless old man with skin of leather. The tour was supposed to last two hors but became extended visit by visit to places he thought i should see. He was very good at knowing just where to stand for each photo and prompted me to get out my camera. His mixture of arabic, french, english and gummy made me smil as did his nature as he beguiled. We visted the sites of interest from the guide books and details not mentioned within them. The streets are a maze of closely knitted businesses and housing and they soon became quite a warren. Visitting a potters factory and tannery were interesting and smelly but as we settled into a shop in the bazaar the heavens openned and a magnificent storm began. Apparently Moroccans believe the rain to be lucky…it was for young salsa sophie who asked me to bring her a presnt back since as the rain came down our bazaar refuge became a haggle to pass time and get her gift. The city became frantic and the excited chatter was lovely. We left and found out why. The streets had become deluged torents of churning brown ankle deep water. A fault of building on steep inclines and poor drainage, mostly because they traditionally have little rain here.
I thought the ride to Moulay Idress and my hotel was going to be wet but i was in for quite a shock as the roads were full of rush hour traffic, broken down cars but most noticably, water. It ranged from ankle to knee high and for around three or four miles to the outskirts of the city. The thunder and lightning was…quite naturally… Heading west as i was! The pink sky gradually became grey then black and the clouds formed Thors fist throwing amazing lightning bolts horizontally across it. The wash from the hills crossed the road in places carrying with it rubble which ranged from sand and bags to boulders as big as my hand. Then Shirleys lights failed and the fun began. The homicidal lorry drivers now were not only a nuisance but a tragedy waiting for their debut. At least every now and then the lightning shocked the earth into showing me a rought through the north foothills of the Atlas mountains. Wet through in trouser t shirt and trainers it was getting cold and…i was beginning to worry, just a little. I could always grab my tent and bivvy in a field but i guessed i was only 8km from the final turn and 15km from there would be my steak dinner. After an almighty bang under Shirley that nearly had me off…again…i saw the turn and in ten minutes saw the lights of Idress mountain village. My reception in the hotel was good, a round of applause from the staff as they knew my plans for the day and the storm raged around the panaramic restaurant. Dinner, a hot shower, and non alcoholic drinks for us in a cafe followed and, i decided, deserved. Tomorrow Shirley gets some TLC, then im having a rest!
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